THE GROUPWIDE NEWSLETTER OF MERCY HEALTH WINTER 2016
By his bride’s side How we support Ross and Valerie to continue their journey together
Celebrating lives of Mercy Srs Trudy Keur and Norma Harrison look back on their decades of service to our mission
Bridging a gap in aged care Meet our first Older Person’s Nurse Practitioner Lisa Dick
compassion
By his
bride’s side With a shy smile to the camera, the bride in blue glances up from her wedding cake. It is the mid-1980s, and Ross and Valerie Buckley have just vowed to love and care for one another in sickness and in health.
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hree decades later, the Hoppers Crossing couple sit in their kitchen poring over their wedding photos. “Did you make your wedding dress, Valerie?” “No”, comes the reply. “Yes you did, darling”, Ross reminds her gently.
quit work to care for his mother. This was not the life Ross had pictured with his bride, his partner, his best friend. “It is so hard, it rips your guts out,” Ross says. “I am broken-hearted. We will never get to travel around Australia together and do all the things we had planned to do.”
“For a while I had known something wasn’t right, and then one day she called me from the car and said, ‘Ross, I’m lost’,” Ross recalls. “You don’t know how scary that is; she could have been anywhere.”
Instead, they go for day trips, enjoying familiar suburbs and having coffee and cake at their favourite cafes. At home, Ross does the cooking and cleaning and helps Valerie through her daily routine. “I have no outside help at all,” Ross says. “That’s stubbornness. But it’s also because I’m happiest when I am doing things for her. The slightest little thing makes her happy, like a cup of tea—even though 30 seconds later she might not remember having asked for one.”
Ross, 11 years younger than Valerie, left his job at Melbourne Airport to become a full-time carer for his wife. It was a déjà vu for Ross whose father also
In her youth, Valerie was a skilled dressmaker; she was once pulled aside by a flight attendant and asked where she bought her stunning skirt
Valerie, now 77, was diagnosed with dementia three years ago and began using Mercy Health Home & Community Care last year.
2 | Our Voice
and coat. She then got a job with the TAB taking bets at horse races, a role she relished for the wonderful characters she got to meet. These days, Valerie attends a Planned Activity Group (PAG) run by Mercy Health Home & Community Care twice a week where she enjoys bingo and simple art and craft. “I believe it’s important for her to get out and meet other people and see what’s going on, even if it may not register,” Ross says. “It does her good.” Having time alone to clear his head has also proved beneficial for Ross, who describes the twice weekly PAGs as a “godsend”. Knowing Valerie is in safe hands, Ross jumps in the car and goes for long walks in peace and quiet. “When you’re with someone 24/7 you sometimes need help yourself; I count it as ‘me’ time. Having Mercy Health there for us has been absolutely sensational.”
I believe it’s important for her to get out and meet other people and see what’s going on, even if it may not register
hospitalit y
Blooming magical: How Tony is planting it forward Magic can happen with a little imagination and a lot of heart. Mercy Place Montrose resident Tony Hopkins has both qualities in abundance.
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ince 2013, Tony has volunteered his time, knowledge and skills to create fairy gardens for residents who are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Most mornings, Tony enjoys pruning, weeding, planting and decorating the gardens at our Montrose home – with no space left unadorned. The tranquil and gently stimulating spaces give residents a comforting place in which to walk, sit, remember or simply relax. While on the surface the gardens may seem effortlessly composed, Tony spends a great deal of time ensuring each one is unique. Sourcing op-shops for bits and pieces to decorate them, he even goes as far as purchasing the plants with his own money. Tony’s selflessness and creativity were duly celebrated by the Mercy Place Montrose community during National Volunteer Week in May.
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Mercy Place Montrose Manager, Janine Powell, says volunteering is something many residents enjoy doing in their spare time, and their contribution is a source of great pride to the home. “Volunteering has become a valuable outlet for many residents, encouraging them to work, collaborate and explore their own interests,” Janine says. “We’re very lucky to have Tony as a resident and volunteer here at the home. Gardens are just one of his volunteering ventures. He takes every opportunity to give to those in need and we’re very impressed by all that he has achieved and continues to do for others in the community. “He’s everything from the Easter Bunny to Father Christmas and even a green leprechaun on St Patrick’s Day. Tony volunteers for every initiative, and has even coloured his hair and beard for the World’s Greatest Shave.
“Volunteers are a valued part of the Mercy Place Montrose community – we’re lucky to have people come into the home and take part in activities and spend time with residents. It takes a very special person to be a volunteer, and Tony is a fantastic example.” For Tony, giving his time, energy and vision is its own reward. “I get a lot of joy from volunteering at the home and creating the fairy gardens,” he confirms. “My wife was a resident here and she had Alzheimer’s. I have created the gardens so other residents who live with the disease have a beautiful space to enjoy. “A lot of effort goes into each garden and I enjoy every second of it. I want the residents to get as much enjoyment from them as I’ve had creating them.”
Tony Hopkins adds a finishing touch to one of the fairy gardens at Mercy Place Montrose
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respect
Bridging a gap
in aged care
Mercy Health’s first Older Persons Nurse Practitioner, Lisa Dick, is always eager to a chat with a resident. She appreciates just how important it is for an older person to understand their medical conditions, and to have a say in their treatment every step of the way. Their stage of life, values and priorities might also determine the treatment they decide to have or not have.
Mercy Place East Melbourne resident Joyce Chaplin with Older Person’s Nurse Practitioner Lisa Dick
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As a nurse practitioner, I can address a service gap and provide easier access to treatment.
I “
find gerontology fascinating,” Lisa says. “It’s not just about the medical speciality, it’s about the physical, mental, and social aspects and implications of ageing. You’re working with an older person who has had an amazing, full life. I love listening to their life stories; it can often help decide what is desirable or realistic for that person going forward.” As an Older Persons Nurse Practitioner, Lisa can prescribe and de-prescribe medications; request and interpret diagnostic investigations, such as pathology tests or ultrasounds; and refer her patients to specialists. The role promotes continuity of care, and is particularly helpful in aged care where many patients are facing complex conditions. As a nurse practitioner, Lisa can also complete a comprehensive geriatric assessment. “You’re not a doctor,” Lisa stresses. “You are a registered nurse with the education and experience required to undertake an advanced clinical role. You are a still a nurse grounded in the nursing
profession’s values, knowledge, theories and practice.” “When I was a Clinical Nurse Consultant, if I thought a medication wasn’t required or appropriate, or the dose required adjustment, I would have to write a letter to the patient’s GP. By the time the elderly patient arranged a GP appointment, and transportation, time was ticking on. As a nurse practitioner, I can address a service gap and provide easier access to treatment. I still work in collaboration with the resident’s GP, but I can give them feedback and complement the care they provide.” Lisa, who has been a registered nurse since 1993, joined Mercy Health as a Nurse Practitioner Candidate in February 2015. After a year completing her candidacy at Werribee Mercy Hospital and in various residential aged care homes, Lisa was fully endorsed in February 2016. Lisa is currently developing collaborative agreements with GPs at Mercy Place East Melbourne and Mercy Place Parkville, and will soon add
Mercy Place Abbotsford to the mix. It took a few weeks and a couple of successful ‘roadshows’ for residents and staff to embrace the new role. “A lot of people don’t know what a nurse practitioner is, or how we fit into the organisation,” Lisa says. “But now, referrals are starting to come through thick and fast.” Lisa says she felt an instant connection with Mercy Health and regards herself as incredibly fortunate to have secured a job here. “I love the team here; everyone is keen to listen and learn and be involved. After all the work it took to get here, I can’t wait to give back to the organisation that gave me this opportunity.” Mercy Health Clinical Director, Aged and Home Care Services Wendy Dunn says it is exciting to welcome Mercy Health’s first Older Persons Nurse Practitioner. “This role complements our personcentred and relationship-focused model of care,” she says. “Nurse practitioners work collaboratively with all care partners to ensure continuity of care and to promote wellness and independence as much as possible.”
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innovation
No place like
home
With some clever thinking, Mercy Health Home & Community Care has helped transform a beloved family home so that Geoff and Elaine Sandell can continue living together. Geoff was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 13 years ago and the condition is now so advanced that he can barely whisper ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Every so often he has the strength to utter the words ‘I love you’ to his devoted wife, Elaine.
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t is those tender moments that keep Elaine going. Her boundless love—together with support from family, friends, Geoff’s doctor and Mercy Health Home & Community Care—has enabled Geoff, 77, to continue living at the family home they built 52 years ago. Their situation came to a head 18 months ago after Geoff fell and was taken to hospital. Elaine, 70, was advised to look for an aged care home for Geoff because he was “not rehab material” due to the Parkinson’s and associated Lewy Body Dementia. When the doctor suggested she would no longer be able to care for him at home, Elaine countered fiercely: “You don’t know me”. And she was right. Determined to keep her family together, Elaine approached Mercy Health Home & Community Care, through which she had already been accessing a Home Care Package for Geoff since 2010. To her relief, Mercy Health was able to continue meeting his needs as his condition deteriorated, with the same respect for the couple’s need for independence and dignity.
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Now, carers visit twice a day to help Elaine bathe and feed Geoff and get him safely into his chair or to bed under the supervision of Geoff’s other ‘nurses’, the couple’s dogs Nurse Lucy and Nurse Krystal. Another Mercy Health carer visits once a fortnight to spend time with Geoff, allowing Elaine some time to herself. Crucially, Mercy Health also transformed the family home by organising the purchase of an air bed, princess chair and ramp down to the veranda through Geoff’s Home Care Package. “Thanks to Mercy Health Home & Community Care, Geoff can sit outside while I work in the garden, and listen to our chickens scratching about and the blackbirds singing,” Elaine says. “A bit more freedom has made such a difference and he loves being outside in the fresh air. “I believe it is important Geoff has familiar sounds around him, like the kettle boiling, the cuckoo clock, the piano and things clattering in the kitchen. We have lived in this house all our lives—it’s where we want and need to be.” The Sandells built the Bayswater house 52 years ago, soon after
they married. They raised two children, Cary and Lisa, and Geoff travelled the country as a successful salesman for Lindt and Patons Macadamia. Every Saturday night, the couple went dancing. Geoff, a beautiful dancer, swept Elaine across the dancefloor doing the Balmoral Blues and the Twilight Waltz. They were on the Warrandyte South dance committee for 25 years. Sadly, it was dancing that gave away Geoff’s illness. “He began forgetting steps—he had always been so particular about clean movements and footwork,” Elaine recalls. “Then when we were walking the dogs I noticed Geoff wasn’t swinging his arms and he was dragging his right leg slightly.” Elaine says Mercy Health Home & Community Care meant the difference between Geoff staying at home or moving into residential aged care. But it also gave her strength to face the hard days. “To win any elite sport, you need a good team behind you. With Home & Community Care, we have the ‘A’ team,” Elaine says. “Prue is amazing and we think the world of her. Whenever I’ve felt like chucking it in, she has been there for me.”
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The Gala Ball MERCY HEALTH FOUNDATION
Gala Ball
One night that could change the future for mothers and babies.
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e are pleased to bring you highlights from our annual Mercy Health Foundation gala ball, held on 4 June. Almost 420 guests joined us to support Mercy Perinatal and ‘celebrate the joy of children.’ Led by Mercy Health Professors Sue Walker and Stephen Tong, Mercy Perinatal will become a unique, international centre of excellence that will advance research, teaching and clinical
practice with a focus on the all-important first 300 days of life after conception. Mercy Perinatal will fast-track pioneering advances in care to combat: • • • •
stillbirth preeclampsia ectopic pregnancies and maternal mental illness.
A warm thank you to all who supported Mercy Perinatal on the night and beyond.
Our sponsors Platinum
Silver
Thanks also to… All of our guests for taking part with such enthusiasm, giving generously on the night and voicing their support The many prize donors who gave goods and services for our live and silent auctions, both of which raised significant funds on the night
Gold Virtual
The staff who organised and volunteered at the event, without whom the ball could not run successfully.
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The Gala Ball
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IMAGES: 1 Rob Wall, Felicianne Wall, Rose Camera, Rocky Camera (Citywatch Security) | 2 David Boell, Rebecca Attard, Stephen Capell, Bill Psiharis (BankVic) | 3 Professor Sue Walker | 4 MC Matt Tilley 5 Anna Klaric, Andrew Klaric (Allanby Press) | 6 Katherine Williams, Boris Ivancic (Technology One) 7 Debbie Bryden, Margaret Bounader, Mandy Sorich | 8 Guess the guests! Getting into the spirit of the night | 9 Greg Anders, Barb Anders | 10 Professor Sue Walker, Sr Helen Monkivitch, Professor Stephen Tong, Julien O’Connell, Maryanne O’Connell | 11 Ben Tighe, Alex Tighe | 12 David and Catherine O’Sullivan , Loretta Drago, Mirella and Chandra Johan (Catholic Super) | 13 Michelle Smart, Sr Helen Monkivitch, Judge Michael McInerney | 14 Judge Michael McInerney, Professor Stephen Tong, Professor Sue Walker, Alex Tighe, Julien O’Connell | 15 The Mercy Perinatal team with Chief Executive Health Services Linda Mellors (second from right) | 16 Professor Stephen Tong, Professor Sue Walker, The Hon Frank McGuire
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The Gala Ball
WHY WE NEED MERCY PERINATAL:
Alex’s story
I have been fortunate to meet some amazing health professionals ... who are working hard to save precious lives and to give families like mine hope
The spirit and purpose of our ball were captured perfectly by guest Alex Tighe.
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tireless supporter of Mercy Perinatal, Alex has raised more than $20,000 through community fundraising, sponsorship of and participation in our Run Melbourne team, and ticket sales to this and last year’s ball. Here is her story. “In 2012, our family was eagerly awaiting the arrival of our third child. But our lives were changed forever when our son, John (Jack) Benedict Tighe, was unexpectedly born prematurely and died at birth.
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“Often, as was the case for us, there is no explanation as to why things went wrong, which only compounds our loss. “We then suffered multiple miscarriages before I fell pregnant again. We were overjoyed to celebrate the safe arrival of our daughter Isabel in December 2015. “I have been fortunate to meet some amazing health professionals, like Professor Sue Walker, who are working hard to save precious lives and to give families like mine hope, when previously there was no hope.”
Alex with daughter Isabel
Couldn’t make it on the night, but would like to support Mercy Perinatal? Visit www.mercyhealth.com.au/donate and click on the Mercy Perinatal banner. Together, we can ensure every family can know the joy of children.
In her own words
Routine can get tiring and boring, so you need to have a sense of humour. Sometimes when we lift Geoff, we joke that the ride on the hoist is a ‘special price’ for that day, or we sing ‘Up Up and Away’. It’s much better than letting the dark side get the better of you. And it can: I have my teary days when I want answers to why this happened to Geoff, of all people. We may not be able to answer that, but we still have each other and we have wonderful support. We have a fabulous team of carers in John,
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Geoff’s respite carer, and Anne and Joan, his personal carers and ‘hug bank’. It is comforting to know our wonderful Care Advisor, Prue, is only a phone call away. She has worked so hard to support Geoff and our family through the maze that is Parkinson’s disease. I believe most problems can be overcome with a good dose of common sense and patience and a great person like Geoff, who doesn’t complain and is always thankful. If you need support with Parkinson’s disease, please visit parkinsons.org.au
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stewardship r Sr Trudy and he 63 19 in s nt re pa
A Golden
Jubilee
Born in the Netherlands, Werribee Mercy Hospital’s Pastoral Care Manager Sr Trudy Keur migrated to Australia with her family when she was five years old. “We had a very broad religious upbringing,” Sr Trudy reflects. “We went to church regularly, but our father used to tell us that just going to church wasn’t good enough—you had to lead a decent life as well.”
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r Trudy celebrated her Golden Jubilee as a Sister of Mercy this year. She entered the Mercy convent in Angas Street, Adelaide in 1963 and made her first vows on 27 January 1966. “My own motto is ‘Let us love one another’,” she says. “That’s what my life has been about.”” Sr Trudy went on to achieve a Bachelor of Science, a Bachelor of Theology, a Master of Arts, a Diploma of Development Studies and a Diploma of Education. She taught science in Adelaide, played an active role in the South Australian Science Teachers’ Association, became a school principal, and worked as Assistant Director for the Catholic Education Office in Darwin where she liaised closely with Indigenous communities
14 | Our Voice
to progress education in community schools. About 15 years ago Sr Trudy moved into chaplaincy, working first at the Royal Darwin Hospital and then joining Werribee Mercy Hospital 11 years ago. “Pastoral care is such a broad canvas,” she says. “It’s sitting with someone with dementia and helping them appreciate the birds outside their window, or holding the hand of someone who’s dying. It’s being present with a family experiencing grief, or rejoicing in the birth of someone’s child. To be with people at such private, vulnerable moments is a great privilege.” Sr Trudy says Mercy Health is where she is meant to be. “I love the hospital and the
Sr Trudy today
people are so friendly and caring,” she says. “They truly do live by our motto, Care First, which echoes my own.” Sr Trudy celebrated her 50th Jubilee in January with four other Sisters of Mercy at the Cunningham Memorial Chapel in Adelaide. She also enjoyed a gathering of family and friends, and more recently a special afternoon tea with colleagues including Mercy Health Group Chief Executive Officer Adjunct Professor Stephen Cornelissen and Chief Executive Health Services Linda Mellors.
Seven decades of service It was in the branches of a favourite old peach tree that 16-year-old Norma Harrison made a decision that would shape the rest of her life. “I made all of my important decisions in that tree,” Sr Norma recalls. That day, Sr Norma chose to devote her life to God by joining the Sisters of Mercy. Sr Norma, who lives at Mercy Place East Melbourne, marked her 70th Jubilee as a Sister of Mercy in January.
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r Norma’s vocation was partly influenced by her parents’ faith. Her father, a doctor, went to Mass every Sunday and practised his faith through acts of generosity that included waiving fees for the poorest patients. At St Mary’s College in Bendigo, Sr Norma met the Sisters of Mercy whom she admired. “They were wonderfully dedicated people,” Sr Norma says. Sr Norma joined the Sisters of Mercy novitiate in Rosanna and in her third year began training as a nurse at Mercy Private Hospital in East Melbourne. “I thought I’d be like Florence Nightingale, going around with a candle and tending to the poor!” Sr Norma recalls. “It was a different story as we entered the huge new building.” Sr Norma worked at Mercy Private Hospital for three decades, waking early for meditation, the Divine Office,
Mass and breakfast before her shift began at 7.30am. Eventually, back problems forced an end to Sr Norma’s nursing. Then six years ago, she moved into Mercy Place East Melbourne on the former Mercy Private Hospital chapel site. “Choosing this home made it easy for me to adjust,” Sr Norma says. “With open-door access to management and the most wonderful, caring staff and pastoral care, how could I regret it? Thank God for this place and the friends I have made.” Beloved among her fellow residents and staff, Sr Norma keeps regular scrabble dates with a 101-year-old friend; contributes beautiful artwork to the home; arranges flowers for the chapel; and tends to the home’s many plants. Every day, Sr Norma can be found in the rooftop garden watering or weeding. “The fresh air, sunshine and gardening are inspiring,” she says.
Sr Norma
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teamwork
A warm welcome
Kogo founder Ros Rogers
for Aboriginal families
Winter is upon us, and families in need are more likely to feel the chill than most. When that need grows with the arrival of a little one, the warm embrace of a hand knitted woollie lends both physical and emotional comfort.
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ur Aboriginal Programs team at Mercy Hospital for Women has been extending a warm welcome to families in their care through links with Kogo (Knit One Give One), a not-for-profit organisation that supplies knitted items to more than 250 organisations Australia wide.
“We linked up with Kogo through Uncle Ron Briggs, when he was running our Aboriginal Dads program,” explains Aboriginal Hospital Liaison Officer Jodie Lovett. “He worked closely with our young families and saw a need to help them feel welcomed and cared for, even after they leave our clinics.
Every few months, Mercy Hospital for Women’s Nangnak maternity clinics receive two large donations of newborn care packages, one for boys and one for girls. Each package contains a knitted blanket, beanie, booties or gloves, and a toy.
“Every family coming through the clinics is offered a Kogo package. All Kogo asks for in return is a photo of the baby in their blanket or beanie so they can share it with the community.”
Two happy recipients of a newborn Kogo care pa ckage
Each knitted item is handmade by one of Kogo’s 5000 dedicated volunteers. The organisation is the brainchild of avid knitter Ros Rogers, inspired by a brutally cold Melbourne winter and a visible community need for practical compassion. The response from both recipients and volunteers has been phenomenal, with 62,500 items distributed in 2015 alone. Despite the huge and growing workload, motivation is no challenge for Ros and her team. “What keeps me going is the feedback we get,” Ros confirms.
“Uncle Ron Briggs had an idea that the packages would be a wonderful gift for young Aboriginal fathers to give to their partners as a way to strengthen family bonds. When he sent through photos of these young parents with their babies wrapped in our blankets, we just felt the warmth. It’s incredibly rewarding to know they are having such a beautiful impact.”
“As an Aboriginal woman I know that handmade clothing, especially knitted pieces, has a real significance in our culture,” Jodie says. “It reminds me, and probably many other Aboriginal people, of family: our grandmothers’ generation was taught knitting in the missions, and still uses those skills to make clothes for their children and grandchildren. It’s become a symbol of nurturing.
Jodie can vouch for the benefits, tangible and emotional, of each lovingly crafted item.
“Kogo is an incredibly generous service that really means a lot to our families and to our program. Mums especially really love it.”
Did you know?
Kogo also donates blankets and beanies to the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Do you or someone you know have a little time and a knack with needles? Kogo would love your help. Visit kogo.org.au or email info@kogo.org.au for details.
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Opening up
a world of aged care experience
Nursing students from Thailand received a hands-on introduction to the world of aged care nursing in Australia at Mercy Place Mandurah.
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he students — one male and six female — are in their fourth year of their nursing degrees at Payap University in Thailand, and spent time with nursing professionals at our Mandurah home to learn more about gerontological nursing. Mercy Place Mandurah Service Manager Christina Venables says the students gained greater knowledge and skills in nursing and healthcare as a result of the placement, in addition to learning more about the healthcare system in Australia. “Both our staff and our residents welcomed the students to our home and enjoyed sharing their expertise, as well as helping to expose them to Australian culture,” Christina says.
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“We pride ourselves on our nursing standards, and it was inspiring to see how enthusiastic the students were to meet our residents and soak up knowledge about aged care in Australia.” The work experience program has been developed through the partnership between Payap University and Murdoch University. The internship program ran between 2-20 May, with students observing the home’s aged care professionals for seven hours a day Monday to Thursday. “It really was a pleasure to have them with us and to assist in improving their skills and experience, Christina says. “It was also fantastic to see them develop each day.”
It was inspiring to see how enthusiastic the students were to meet our residents and soak up knowledge about aged care in Australia.
Profile:
Sandra Harwood
Consumer Advisory Group member
In the first of a series of profiles, we explore why our Consumer Advisors choose to give their time and life lessons to help shape Mercy Health’s care.
Why did you become a Consumer Advisor? I’d had two babies at Mercy Hospital for Women. My pastoral carer, Annie, rang me one day in 2014 and said “I think you’d be great in this role, are you interested?” I wasn’t sure, but once I had been interviewed I thought it would be a beautiful way to pay forward some of the good fortune I’ve received. I also felt it could enrich my life. My first baby Eden was stillborn in 2010. I was 36 weeks pregnant when we were told there was no heartbeat. I had to go in and deliver her. I felt like my situation made me a challenging client; I’m grateful the Mercy staff could support my needs. For staff, dealing with people in trauma is a hard ask; if you haven’t been through it, how can you know? Doctors have an expectation that “I should be able to save this child” so they carry that heaviness in them. I feel like my role is to help caregivers feel more confident in how to treat us; how to prompt without triggering us, which is like walking on landmines.
I was extremely lucky with my care during and after Eden’s birth; I’d like to share two examples. My midwife Maria had to record every procedure I had in this enormous book. I said “You poor thing, look at all your paperwork.” And she just said “You’re the one in pain, we’re here to look after you.” I was feeling terrible that I’d brought sadness where there should be something beautiful. Maria maintained her professionalism but also gave me strength that everything I was feeling was OK. After Eden was born, she was placed in a cot and I was sitting apart from her. Another young nurse came in and asked “Have you had a chance to bond with Eden?” That blew me away; I heard myself say “I’d love to bond with her but I’m in a lot of pain, I can’t hold her.” She said “I’ll help you,” and she put Eden on a pillow so I could hold her safely. Then she left us together. I spoke to Eden and kissed her, all the things a mum wants to do. Those two nurses made all the difference; they had a beautiful balance of compassion and professionalism. As my husband
and I were leaving they said, “Don’t you give up, you two will be the greatest parents.”
What do you give, and receive, as a consumer advisor? I’d like to help the care and compassion I received to continue or improve by sharing my story. If sharing my journey can give a better experience to someone else, it’s worthwhile. I enjoy taking the opportunity to transform suffering into something beautiful and purposeful. Every time I go to the hospital I think of Eden. There is nothing else I can give her; I can’t cuddle her, I can’t watch her grow, but when I go to the hospital and participate, it’s my way of respecting her little life and expressing my love as her mum.
Help us shape Mercy Health’s care Contact Bec Jolly, Community Participation Manager, on (03) 8416 7872 or rjolly@mercy.com.au
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Please help support families in need this winter Winter can be a tough time for people who are already in need. The cost of accommodation, keeping warm and eating well can be hard to balance against the cost of vital medication and travel to doctor’s appointments or hospital. Please help a family in need this winter by supporting Mercy Health Foundation’s Emergency Relief Appeal. $20 will … help buy petrol $41 will …
buy a night’s accommodation at Lions House
$100 will … help buy groceries for a family $200 will … buy one week’s accommodation at Lions House $300 will … pay a family’s winter gas bill
Visit www.mercyhealth.com.au/donate
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By his bride’s side
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Celebrating lives of Me rcy
Srs Trudy Keur and Norm a Harrison look back on their decades of service to our missi on
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Bridging a ga in aged carep
We hope you’ve enjoyed the winter edition of Our Voice, Mercy Health’s groupwide newsletter.
Meet our first Nurse Prac Older Person’s titioner Lisa Dick
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Please send your feedback and stories to ourvoice@mercy.com.au Mercy Health acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as the first Australians. We acknowledge the diversity of Indigenous Australia. We respectfully recognise Elders both past and present. This report was produced on Wurundjeri Country.
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Our Voice will be back in September with our spring edition. In the meantime you can keep up to date with current Mercy Health news at mercyhealth.com.au
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